Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

lepidopteran


lep·i·dop·ter·an

noun \-rən\

Definition of LEPIDOPTERAN

: any of a large order (Lepidoptera) of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers that as adults have four broad or lanceolate wings usually covered with minute overlapping and often brightly colored scales and that as larvae are caterpillars
lepidopteran adjective
lep·i·dop·ter·ous \-tə-rəs\ adjective

Origin of LEPIDOPTERAN

New Latin Lepidoptera, from lepid- + Greek pteron wing — more at feather
First Known Use: circa 1901

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: lepidopterist
Previous Word in the Dictionary: lepidoptera
All Words Near: lepidopteran

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up lepidopteran? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).